I Promise
by Lily Silver-chan
Summary: After the Tadtone search, Link is exhausted and decides to go to the Sealed Temple to rest. While he is there, he talks to Zelda, sealed away in the crystal. Just a cute little oneshot I came up with. Little bit of ZeldaXLink!


I promise

_Master, I suggest drinking a potion to restore your health._

"I'm fine."

_Master Link, if you do not heal your injuries, they may get worse_. Link sighed. He pulled out a red potion and drank half of it. Immediately, he felt better. The cuts on his arms and the gash on his side closed, and he stopped bleeding_. Master Link, I suggest taking a break to rest. In your current state of exhaustion,_ there_ is only a 25% chance of your success in the next trial_.

"No, I'm fine! I have to keep going! Zelda is counting on me! The whole **world** is counting on me!" Link's voice sounded strained and tired.

_Master. Please calm down_.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I know you're trying to help me, but I guess I'm just a little stressed. I'll take a break, just for a few minutes."

_Understood, master_. Fi flipped back into the Master Sword as Link started walking toward the Sealed Temple. He had just finished collecting the tadtones for the water dragon when, on his way to find a statue to return to the sky, he was ambushed by a group of bokoblins. Normally, he could have easily handled them, but he was exhausted from swimming all over Faron woods, dodging monster fish, and chasing after the elusive tadtones. Link had been injured pretty badly in the fight, and now he was even more exhausted, but he didn't want to admit it. The potion had helped with his injuries, but he still felt worn out. Link pushed open the heavy doors of the sealed temple, his muscles aching. _A few minuets of rest does sound really nice_, Link thought. Groose was inside the temple, standing on a small patch of earth in an alcove to the side of the ancient building.

"Hey there, Link! Grannie's outside checking the seal. That last battle was pretty rough, and we don't want that big ugly monster breaking loose before we're ready." Groose looked at Link as he walked closer. "Hey, you don't look so good. You okay, buddy?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired." Link faked a smile.

"That's good. And hey, don't worry, Zelda will be okay. At least no monsters can get her inside that crystal, right?" Groose grinned, and patted Link on the back. "I'm going to go check the seal with Grannie. It would be pretty bad if she was out there by herself if that thing broke loose!" Groose walked over and pushed open the heavy doors of the temple. Link was alone. He sighed. Groose was right, Zelda would be okay. He only had one more part of the Song of the Hero to learn before he could figure out where the Triforce was. Once he got it, he could wish for Demise's destruction, and Zelda could be free.

He walked over to the doors in the back of the temple. One of them was tilted to the side, leaving a small gap. Through it he could see Zelda, asleep in her crystal. His heart ached as he remembered the pained look on her face when she apologized for involving him in the fate of the surface. Link rested his hand on the door. It seemed a little loose. He pushed, and it shifted. Putting both his hands in the gap, he shoved with all his might. The gap widened only slightly, but it was just enough for him to squeeze through.

Link walked over to the crystal Zelda was imprisoned in. He smiled at the peaceful expression on her face.

"Hello, Zelda." He knew she would not answer. "I know you can't talk, but maybe you can hear me." Zelda's expression did not change. "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you, not at all. I don't care that you used me; I would have gone after you anyway, even if it wasn't my destiny. Sure, the journey's been hard so far, but it's kinda fun too. I got to meet lots of new people."

The words came easily, as though he was actually talking to his childhood friend. "The Kikwis were scared of everything, but they were also kinda cute! And the Mogmas are greedy, but they're reliable when you need them. And I would have loved to see all the robots in Lanayru, back in the past when they were still working. The old lady at the temple is really nice. Groose calls her 'Grannie'." He laughed slightly. "You should see Groose now, Zelda. He's completely changed! At first he just thought he could take care of everything, but it was a lot more than he expected! Now, he's helping me out. Whenever that monster breaks loose, he helps fight it with this wierd catapult he made. It's actually really useful."

Link sighed. "I miss you, Zelda." A single tear ran down his face. "I know I'm supposed to protect the surface, but it's such a huge task. Sometimes, I wonder if I can do it. So many people are counting on me. If I don't succeed, the whole world will be destroyed by Demise!" His breathing sped up, and all of his fear and frustration came pouring out. "How am I supposed to beat him? He keeps on breaking out, and we barely beat him this time! Zelda, what if I can't protect you?" He hung his head. "I'm afraid. I act brave for everyone because they're counting on me, but really, I'm afraid." Link closed his eyes and tried not to cry.

"I know what you would say. You believe in me; you would say that I can do it, that I should be strong and never give up." Link smiled. "You've always been there for me, and you're the best friend anyone could ask for. Now, I'm going to be there for you. I will be there when you can finally wake up. I _will_ get the Triforce, and get rid of Demise once and for all. I promise." Link took one last look at the girl sleeping in the crystal. He turned around and left the room, determined to face whatever challenge came his way. Behind him, the sleeping form of Zelda smiled.


End file.
